Git 'er Done in 2008!

While I am not going to share my resolutions with you as I take them very seriously and they are very private to me (there are 5) -- I will say that my mantre for 2008 is going to be "Git 'er Done!" Whether it's a project I've started, plans I've made, chores I've got to do -- my biggest resolution for this wonderful New Year is to ACT on my intentions, my desires and my dreams. I truly believe that by taking that one "notion" seriously -- the possibilities are endless -- and I can apply that to my 5 resolutions and my life. So without further adieu' -- bring it on 2008 - I'M READY!

Whilst I Anxiously Await.....

the varnishing of the pieces and the"putting together" of the 1000+ pieces that comprise Little Gracie II, I've decided I'd better get started on the next fractured quilt piece I have coming due on January 12th. And since the laundry is done, the house is clean and it's rather yucky outside -- today is a good day to do that.

As you may recall (see my post dated Oct. 10th, below) I did one of these a few months ago. For this project a picture was selected (in this case a poster print.) The poster was cut into five slices (as there are 5 of us in the group). Each member of the group selected a "slice" and is recreating it in her own style. Once everyone has their slice of the original picture done (in this case by January 12th) we will present it to the owner of the art quilt who will then attach all the slices together, quilt and then bind or frame them. It really makes for an interesting piece of art. I'm getting excited because my turn is next and I've selected a really cool picture which I will show you next month -- when it's time.

Anyway -- here is the original print of the current fractured art quilt we are working on:

This really is a pretty, slightly impressionistic painting of gladioli in a vase. I can't read who the original painter is. If you look in the photograph above, you can see where I outlined the "slice" (upper left hand side) I am going to do. Here is a close-up the "slice" that I have to recreate....

The first thing I did is place my "section" onto my light table and trace the general shapes. These are the shapes I will be cutting out in fabric to raw edge (fused) applique down to the base fabric which is a tea dyed and hand painted muslin. Unlike some of the amazingly talented ladies in our group who fussy cut each and every little petal of the flower, I think I am going to cut larger general shapes and "thread paint" the individual petal distinctions and shading:Next I'm in the process of inlaying some color with color pencils so I can see the variant shades of whites, pinks, tans and greens I want to highlight. This step really isn't necessary, but there are so many variations in color saturation I want this indicated on my overlay:

This is the step I am working on at this very moment. Once I am done inlaying the color on my sketch, I will transfer the sketch outline on to the base of the hand painted and tea dyed muslin background.

This really is a learning experience for me as I have not done much applique, nor have I done art quilts of this nature. I'm excited about the process and find I am learning every step of the way. You know, you can read all the books you want on a technique or topic, but it's not until you roll up your sleeves, get out the supplies at just dig in that you really begin the learning process. More to come.....

Just A Little Gift.....

At a loss for any new work to post in the last few days -- here is a little bookmark I made for a friend as a gift. She took a pretty good picture of it -- so I decided to post it. I MUST get one of those lenses (macro lense) for my Canon EOS.

New Year - New Inspiration.....

I'm ready to take this art quilt thing to the next level. I've been searching for the last few months for books that were "different." Books that take textile art to new places -- at least "new" for me. I just wanted to take a minute to share with you what I've found. Here are three of the most awesome textile art books I have come across in a long time...


Fabric Art Workshop (click here for a searchable version) is a wonderful book that is over 100 pages of full color gorgeous photographs and step by step instructions on "techniques" such as : silk fusion, silk rod making, burned edge applique, screen printing, distressed felt, nature printing, rust dyeing, color discharging, fabric foiling and SOOO much more. I've seen books covering these topics before, but this one particular book is the best one I've seen in that it is visually stimulating, the steps are comprehensive, yet easy to understand and covers a whopping 27 techniques. Truly a gem.

Stitched Textile Collage, by Lucille Toumi is my very favorite book. This is a very colorful and inspirational book that covers 25 projects that "demonstrate techniques from applique'patching and surface embellishment with beads, buttoms, trimmings, and wire to knitting and machine and hand embroidery." It covers techniques and designs that are fresh and fun and take "journal quilt" making to a whole new level. If you are at all interested in integrating hand embroidery stitches and collage technique to your quilting -- THIS is the book. I love it!

My final purchase was this beautifully written and impecably illustrated technique book, "Nature's Studio -- a Quilter's Guide to Plaing with Fabric & Technique," written by Joan Colvin. I bought this book because my vast collection of Utah, Colorado and Montanna photographs from our trip every year is just begging to be reproduced in fabric. And while I have dabbled a bit in small 4x6 abd 6x6 landscapes, they have been very basic and I'm ready for the next step. I would not say this book is for a total beginner for while it is heavy in pictures of a variety of landscape quilts -- it does come up a bit shy on comprehensive instructions. Ms. Colvin does do a good job of providing general descriptions of tips and techniques for a gallery of quilts in the first 3/4 of the book and at the end she gives a wonderful overview on her "artistic process" for creating landscaping quilts.

I Truly am Spoiled.....

I guess Santa paid attention to my 1000+ letters asking for a Little Gracie II quilting frame 'cause sure enough -- there she was in a two huge boxes underneath my Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Now she's downstairs in 1000+ pieces waiting for Blaise to put her together. He's so good - I know he'll have her up and running within the next day or so. I'm really looking forward to taking my quilting to the next level and I'm hoping that Gracie will help me do that. I have a great little sewing machine -- a Janome 6600P -- and while I know a lady in my quilt guild who quilts like Picasso paints with her Janome, I am having a terrible time -- struggle with all that bulk while trying to quilt. And with Grace's "no baste" rails, I can slide the edges in, roll 'em up tight and quilt away. I can't wait to try her out!!

6x6 Traditional "Blocks" with a Twist Done....

Here are the results of my interpretation of the traditional blocks with a twist challenge from Surface Design.

This first piece (my personal favorite) was made with three types of handmade fabrics. The largest layer was just commercial fabric overpainted with Lumiere paints and stamped with metallics. The second layer fabric is made from soy silk fibers that I made by layering the colored fibers (warp and weft) on a screen, placed another piece of screen on top and painted the soy silk and screen sandwich with a glue/water mix -- actually saturating it and then rolling over it with a rolling pin on a towel to get out the excess water. I then took the fibers out from between the screens and hung the newly made fabric to dry. The little center square is also made from silk fiber fabric that I made the same way, however after I took the fabric out from between the screens, I quickly painted (it while still wet) with Lumiere paints. Then I hung that to dry. Once both pieces were totally dry, I cut them into squares (square within a square). The first piece I glued down on a piece of 6x6 timtex, covered the entire surface with tulle and stitched around the edges. After that I stitched the second square down, then the third square and quilted over the entire piece with a free motion quilting stitch using metallic copper thread and finished it by binding it with copper tape. Finally, I made a little copper swirlie in the middle with paint.

This piece started out as a piece of sponge painted paper that was layered with fabric, silk, stamped and covered with organza, stitched all over the place with metallic thread and then heat blasted.

This final piece was made using a base of commercial fabric that I painted with metallic paint, layered with silver lame' pieces and covered with a 6x6 piece of bronze organza. I free motion quilted with bronze metallic thread all over the entire thing, then I stitched a piece of embossed copper to the center and copper foil to the edges. The picture doesn't do this one justice as it really is very colorful.

The backs of all three pieces have a piece of texture stamped muslin on the back.

This was an interesting challenge as it made me focus on trying to come up with innovative technique/materials to provide a "twist" to a "standard" quilt block and I think overall, I was successful.

I think I'm done now for a while with the challenges as I want to focus on honing some of the quilting skills I have been learning. It's one thing to go through the motions, it's another to do it with precision and finesse - and THAT is my goal!

It's Finally Done.....

Well, here it is... completed at last. I'm actually pretty pleased with the way it came out -- mistakes and all! I'm not going to dwell too much on what didn't go right -- because the most important thing is that the


recipient, my daughter, is quite pleased with it.....

and really, isn't that all that matters!!!

All the Way from Paris......

I am so excited to share with you a recent creation by my friend Andrea which now, I am thrilled to say, belongs to me! I have admired Andrea's perspective on life and art from afar for many months and am thrilled to be able to "touch" something made by her insightful and creative hands. In a lovely letter she shared with me the process she ensued to create this treasure wherein kimono silk was one of her ingredients. I want to share with you what she said on her blog with regard to that special silk:

" I bought little cuts of old japanes kimonos once in Germany, from a women who
buys them in Japan.....I like the idea that
something someone made in Japan a long time ago with craftsmenship and talent is
part of this wallhanging now. I'm honouring it.."

Thank you so much friend -- for not only do I admire and respect your artistic abilities, but your artistic "spirit," as well. You can be sure that Macrocosmos will be displayed in a place of honor in my home.


Here, is Macrocosmos.....

!@$%*@#$%&@#$%*@#$&........

Not very ladylike - I know..... but I feel better now. I don't know why this quilt is giving me such problems. Maybe because this is the largest project I've quilted -- my inexperience is getting the better (or worst) of me. Oh yeah, yeah -- that's it - definately. Or, um, maybe it's because of my inexperience that while quilting and watching Fox News ( I love Brian & Steve!!) I sewed through my index finger (don't ask!) yesterday - oh yeah, that's it. Maybe it's because of my inexperience that I knocked over my coffee, soaked my favorite white slippers I was wearing which I immediately took off and then proceeded to step on a ginormous safety pin that was on the floor and drew blood - yet again! -- oh yeah, yeah -- that's it. I just heard someone say yesterday you learn more from failure than you do from success -- well if that's the case -- then by the time I am done with this quilt - I will be teeming with knowledge! Anyway -- I'm almost done with this "learning experience, " and while I really have no other news to report or project pictures to post -- Sabrina, on the other hand, has been quite a busy girl - take a look.....

This is a picture Sabrina painted the other day after we visited a friend (Andrea's) blog. (Andrea lives in Paris - which Sabrina finds extremely enchanting.) Finding herself inspired, Sabrina decided to paint a picture of her Parisian alter ego.... Sabrina de Bleu

Here is a lovely little surprise I found tapped to my sewing machine Monday morning after Sabrina left for school. I'm guessing she made it Sunday while scrapbooking and left this little surprise for me to find Monday morning. (She frequently leaves me little treasures -- taped to my sewing machine!)
And finally, one of my favorite things she's made me in a while -- is a little free-hand drawn and embroidered Christmas tree. I so love this little tree and keep it hanging up all year on the wall in our studio.....

I am so blessed to have two children who are so creative and from whom I derrive my own inspiration. They are so very different -- my two kids. So uniquely individual and special. Their art reflects that uniquenes, and continues to be an inspiration for me in everything I do.
XO

I Know, I Know.....

I haven't been doing ANY stitching lately. Can't seem to find the time - between working, cleaning, Christmas shopping, holiday parties, get togethers and LIFE there's isn't much time left. But I am still quilting away on "hearts." It should be done any moment. In the meantime, here is a delightful stack of "homespuns" and perle cotton I purchased at Schoolhouse Fabrics during a recent trip to Floyd, Virginia. This old schoolhouse has been turned into one of the most unique fabric shops Sabrina and I have visited. Anyone out there make anything cute out of homespuns you'd like to share with me? I'd love some ideas as to what to do with this little package of fat quarters as I've never worked with homspuns before but have always admired their tactile appeal. So - let's hear what you've made. P.S. (I just gave the two Corgi's a bubble bath and while I write this they are chasing eachother around in circles and up and down the stairs. They always get frisky after their baths. Too cute!)

The Reccas Light up the Neighborhood!

Every year the weekend before Thanksgiving my husband goes up into the attic and we drag all the Christmas lights out so that we can light up the house Thanksgiving evening. It's a Recca Family tradition. Here are the fruits of his labor. (Do you see a teeny weeny Gizmo in the foreground?)









Finally, as I was finishing up taking these pictures I looked up to see this beautiful sunset in the pines. Ahhhh, I do love living in North Carolina!

One WIP Down.... 9 More to Go!

I made this little 6x6 piece to trade with a wonderfully creative lady who just happens to live in Paris. Her work is very spiritual and full of texture and it truly inspires me. So, using some of her favorite colors, I tried to create something I am hoping she will enjoy looking at. On the front I used several colors of silk dupioni, metallic threads, Lumiere metallic paint, hand painted fabric, Austrian crystal beads and abalone shells. On the back I used hand "tea-dyed" linen and metallic threads. I love working in this scale as it lends itself to "risk taking" and experimentation without fear. I also love working with silk dupioni as it is a wonderful texture to paint on and holds inks and paints very well.